Sherrill says ‘Republican dark money groups’ need to stay out of Dem primaries

As a pair of shadowy super PACs with possible GOP ties spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in two New Jersey Democratic primaries, the state’s top Democrat, Gov. Mikie Sherrill, says any Republican meddling needs to stop.

“Republicans should stay out of Democratic primaries as we head to the June 2 elections,” Sherrill said in a statement this afternoon. “All Democratic candidates should have the opportunity to make their case to voters without Republican dark money groups trying to subvert our primary elections.”

“This is about transparency, plain and simple,” she added.

In the 7th district, a brand-new super PAC called Real Change PAC has dropped more than $600,000 on ads and mailers bashing Rebecca Bennett, the swing district’s Democratic frontrunner, and elevating two of her primary foes. There are several indications that the PAC is a front for Republicans seeking to weaken Bennett, though the group’s donors won’t be revealed until after the primary.

And in the 12th district, the even-murkier Florence Avenue Initiative has spent $265,000 attacking Sue Altman. The group’s motivations for spending so much money on negative advertising in a safely Democratic district are entirely opaque; “I have a LONG list of enemies – Christie, Norcross, Musk, AIPAC,” Altman hypothesized when the group’s first mailers went out. “Maybe they’ve all formed a PAC against me. Who knows.”

Sherrill herself has not taken sides in either contest; four Democrats are running for the 7th district to challenge Rep. Tom Kean Jr. (R-Westfield), while 12 Democrats are vying to succeed retiring Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Ewing) in the 12th district.

But the governor has particular reason to distrust the Florence Avenue Initiative, which sent out mailers during last year’s governor’s race accusing the then-congresswoman of being anti-Israel. The group also spent millions criticizing Chuck Schumer in 2024, a campaign that had links to a conservative media firm. (Because Florence Avenue Initiative is registered as a 501(c)(4) nonprofit rather than a super PAC, it never had to disclose its donors.)

Real Change PAC and a similar group, Lead Left PAC, have both drawn broader outrage from Democrats, who suspect they’re a coordinated GOP effort to hurt Democrats in competitive seats. Just today, Real Change PAC began new expenditures attacking a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee-backed candidate in Maine and promoting one of his more progressive foes.

Tina Shah and Brian Varela, the two 7th district candidates promoted by Real Change PAC’s anti-Bennett ads, have both said they oppose the PAC’s spending as well.

“MAGA groups have no business interfering in Democratic primaries,” Shah said in a statement last week. “While I believe Rebecca Bennett should explain why she is accepting money from Palantir execs, as ICE terrorizes communities, I also hope every candidate in the race will join me in condemning any support from ICE contractors and MAGA-aligned groups.”